little hare,' and the
little hare politely said, 'Good morning.'

'Can you give me a pinch of snuff?' said the jackal.

'I am so sorry, but I have none,' answered the little hare.

The jackal then came and sat down by the little hare, and unfastened his
little bag, pulling out of it a piece of honeycomb. He licked his lips
and exclaimed, 'Oh, little hare, if you only knew how good it is!'

'What is it?' asked the little hare.

'It is something that moistens my throat so deliciously,' answered the
jackal, 'that after I have eaten it I don't feel thirsty any more, while
I am sure that all you other beasts are for ever wanting water.'

'Give me a bit, dear friend,' asked the little hare.

'Not so fast,' replied the jackal. 'If you really wish to enjoy what
you are eating, you must have your paws tied behind you, and lie on your
back, so that I can pour it into your mouth.'

'You can tie them, only be quick,' said the little hare, and when he was
tied tight and popped on his back, the jackal went quietly down to the
well, and drank as much as he wanted. When he had quite finished he
returned to his den.

In the evening the animals all came back; and when they saw the little
hare with his paws tied, they said to him: 'Little hare, how did you let
yourself be taken in like this? Didn't you boast you were very sharp?
You undertook to guard our water; now show us how much is left for us to
drink!'

'It is all the fault of the jackal,' replied the little hare, 'He told
me he would give me something nice to eat if I would just let him tie my
hands behind my back.'

Then the animals said, 'Who can we trust to mount guard now?' And the
panther answered, 'Let it be the tortoise.'

The following morning the animals all went their various ways, leaving
the tortoise to guard the spring. When they were out of sight the jackal
came back. 'Good morning, tortoise; good morning.'

But the tortoise took no notice.

'Good morning, tortoise; good morning.' But still the tortoise pretended
not to hear.

Then the jackal said to himself, 'Well, to-day I have only got to manage
a bigger idiot than before. I shall just kick him on one side, and then
go and have a drink.' So he went up to the tortoise and said to him in a
soft voice, 'Tortoise! tortoise!' but the tortoise took no notice. Then
the jackal kicked him out of the way, and went to the well and began to
drink, but scarcely had he touched the water, than the tortoise seiz